Cattle stalls



J 19 69 J. A. M. WARMERDAM 1 CATTLE STALLS Sheet 0!?4 Filed Sept. 15. 1966 Jan. 14," 1969 CATTLE STALLS Sheet Filed Sept. 15, 1966 Q o o xv 4 04. 0 Q a o o a au n Jan. 14, 1969 Filed Sept. 15, 1966 J. A. M. WARMERDAM CATTLE STALLS Sheet 3 of4 JEH/V i IW- WARMERDHM CATTLE STALLS Sheet Filed Sept. 15, 1966 A n m V m 36H N A rv\ WARME R mm United States Patent 3,421,478 CATTLE STALLS John A. M. Warmerdam, Drimvor Farm, Kilmichael Glassary, by Lochgilphead, Argyll, Scotland Filed Sept. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 579,647 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 21, 1965,

40,169/65; Dec. 20, 1965, 53,821/65 U.S. Cl. 119-27 18 Claims Int. Cl. A01k 1/00; A01j 1/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A livestock stall having rails at the front and back to which are slidably attached adjustable length side bars to form stalls of varying sizes.

This invention relates to structures for accommodating livestock of the kind embodying a cubicle system in which the accommodation space is divided by bars or rails into a series of individual cubicles or stalls each to receive one animal.

It is common practice in structures of this kind to use as cubicle defining means tubular steel bars bent to quarter circle or similar shape, said bars being secured in position by embedding their ends in the back wall and floor respectively, or by providing screw-threaded and/ or pin and socket connections between the bar ends and embedded elements. It has been found desirable, however, to adapt the size of individual cubicles to the breed or type of livestock to be accommodated and the present invention pro vides novel or improved stall fittings which enable the cubicles to be adjusted in size according the requirements.

According to the invention the partitioning or dividing bars are releasably secured at or near their ends to longitudinally-extending rails along which the bars are adjustable to vary the width of individual cubicles. One of the rails may be secured to a permanent supporting wall by means which permit it to be spaced at various distances from the wall or the bars themselves may be telescopic to enable the efiective depth of the cubicles to be modified as desired,

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of structure embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section through the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are similar fragmentary sections on an enlarged scale with parts broken away through two forms of adjustable securing means for the rear rail of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG- URE 2 of a modified structure;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale with parts broken away, through part of the structure shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a free-standing structure embodying the invention and FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of another modification of the structure according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 a rail 1 is secured to a supporting wall 2 by bracket members each comprising a back plate 3 screwed or otherwise secured to the wall, a stem portion 4 and a suitable clamp 5 which releasably grips the rail. The stem portion 4 is preferably telescopic and may, as shown in FIGURE 3 consist of two screwthreaded members 6 and 7 secured to the plate 3 and clamp 5 respectively or may as shown in FIGURE 4 consist of two relatively slidable members 8 and 9 adapted to be secured together in any one of a number of positions "ice of adjustment by a bolt 10 passing through registering longitudinal slots 11 and 12 in the members 8 and 9 respectively. Tubular side bars 13 are provided at their ends with T-pieces 14 and 15 which embraces and are adjustable along the rail 1 and a rail 16 respectively, the latter being supported above the floor by detachable feet 17. Alternatively, the rail 16 may be releasably attached to a low wall or board 18 provided along the front of the row of stalls or icubicles formed by the bars 13 to retain bedding material 19 within the stalls. The dividing or side bars 13 are each augmented by a supplementary bar 20 secured at its ends by releasable clamps 21 and 22 to the horizontal and inclined portions respectively of the bar 13.

In an alternative construction the rail 1 may be fixed to the wall and the dividing bars 13 made telescopic or otherwise variable in length. One such construction is shown in FIGURE 5 in which each dividing bar consists of two vertically-spaced horizontal bar portions secured to or integral with a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion, the horizontal portions each comprising telescopic sections 23 and 24 of which the latter are mounted on bars 25 (FIGURES 5 and 6) which are themselves vertically adjustable on posts 26 secured to the back wall 2. The telescopic construction of the bars and the vertically adjustable arrangement of the rear rail may also be applied to structures of the kind shown in FIGURE 1.

Whilst the invention has been described in relation to fixed stall fittings it will be understood that it has equal application to free standing structures. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 7, the invention may be embodied in a rigid unit comprising end frames 27 of triangular form interconnected by upper and lower horizontal bars 28 and 29 respectively, the space between said end frames being divided into cubicles by releasable and adjustable partitioning bars of the kind shown in FIGURE 5. This structure provides two rows of cubicles, back-to-back, but a structure may be built on similar lines to provide a single row of cubicles. A structure of the type shown in FIG- URE 7 may be retained in position solely by its Weight or by releasable stays, brackets or equivalent means (not shown).

As shown in FIGURE 8 the rear rail 30 is supported, like the front rail 31, upon detachable feet 32 which may be telescopic or otherwise adjustable if desired and the dividing bars are formed of telescoping sections 33 and 34.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides simple but effective means of accommodating livestock by dividing an existing building into a plurality of individual cubicles or stalls using adjustable and removable metal units and without the need of permanent fixtures.

What is claimed is:

1. A structure for accommodating livestock comprising a series of individual cubicles or stalls defined by a plurality of side bars releasably secured adjacent their ends to longitudinally-extending rails along which the bars are adjustable to carry the width of individual cubicles, and adjustment means for varying the effective depth of said cubicles.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the front ends of said bars are secured to a rail supported at a point close to the ground.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein said front rail is supported by detachable feet or stands.

4. A structure according to [claim 2, wherein said front rail is releasably secured to a low wall or board for retaining bedding material within the structure.

5. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the rear ends of said bars are secured to a rail situated above the level of the other rail and supported by a wall or other permanent structural element.

6. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said rear rail is secured to said wall by telescopic means.

7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein said telescopic means comprises interengaging screw-threaded members detachably secured to said wall and said rail respectively.

8. A structure according to claim 6, wherein said telescopic means comprises relatively slidable members detachably secured to said wall and said rail respectively and means for locking said members in any one of a number of positions of adjustment.

9. A structure according to claim 5, wherein said rear rail is detachably mounted and adjustable along vertical posts detachably secured to said wall.

10. A structure according to claim 1, wherein each bar consists of a horizontally extending rear section and a forwardly and downwardly extending front section.

11. A structure according to claim 10, wherein each bar is augmented by an angled member secured at its ends to the horizontal and inclined sections of the bar.

12. A structure according to claim 10, wherein each bar is augmented by a second bar extending below and parallel to the horizontal section of said main bar and secured at one end to the inclined section of said main bar and detachably secured at the other end to a second rail extending below and parallel to said rear rail.

13. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the rear ends of said bars are secured to a rail at the same height and supported in the same manner as said front rail.

14. A structure according to claim 13, wherein each bar is of substantially invented U-form.

15. A structure according to claim 12 wherein said bars extend outwardly on opposite sides of said vertically spaced rails and are detachably secured at their outer ends to a pair of said front rails to provide two rows of cubicles back-to-back, said rails extending between and secured to a pair of end frames.

16. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said bars and rails are formed of tubular metal.

17. A structure according to claim 1, wherein each bar is formed in two telescoping sections.

18. A structure according to claim 1, wherein rails are formed in telescoping sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,890,980 12/1932 Ferris 119--27 X 2,547,426 4/1951 Youngman 1l927 2,642,037 6/1953 Merrill 119--27 2,714,367 8/1955 Arnold 1l9-27 2,720,861 10/1955 Stroup et a1. 11928 2,853,052 9/1958 Pearson 119-27 3,122,128 2/1964 Prentice 11927 ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner. 

